Genome Canada - Synthetic Antibody Program

Over the past decade, human antibodies have emerged as prime candidates for fighting cancer and other major diseases. With funding from Genome Canada, scientists are using cutting edge technology to develop antibodies targeted at proteins that have been associated with cancer. Scientists from the Donnelly Centre’s Toronto Recombinant Antibody Technology Centre are working together with researchers from the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research’s Selective Therapies Program to develop a program of large scale antibody production This project will have a major impact on basic research in cancer biology, expand the options for cancer therapy and yield numerous commercial opportunities. Researchers are also examining the ethical implications of the large-scale production of antibodies. In particular, these issues are being studied in the context of distributive justice - the equitable sharing of scarce resources among all socioeconomic groups.